The present invention relates to musical instruments and more particularly to a guitar having an electro-luminescent lighting system connected thereto.
Heretofore, lighting systems for musical instruments have normally contained individual light bulbs or light emitting diodes to provide the desired lighting effects. One such device is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,113 which contains a solid transparent plastic material having frosted surfaces to diffuse the light rays from the individual light bulbs in order to give the effect of a solid luminescent light.
Another lighting system for a guitar is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,943,185 in which the guitar contains fiber optic strands extending through the neck which conduct light from a source located in the body to front markers on the printed surface of the neck and the side surface facing the guitarist, thereby allowing the instrument to be played in the dark.
The electro-luminescent lamps contemplated for use in the present invention are presently used in military applications for the backlighting of instrument panels and displays in aircraft and dashboards.
The present invention provides for a lighting system utilizing the electro-luminescent lamps which are flat in shape and flexible to simplify the mounting and configuration of the desired emission of light and a control circuit for driving the electro-luminescent lamps.